Review these amazing resources to help you develop a solid rationale and find creative approaches for your peace education activities.
by Taylor O’Connor and Mustapha Ali | 4 September 2024
Photo by hossein azarbad on Unsplash
“Educating for peace will give us in the long run the practical benefits that we seek. It will build a critical mass of people who will demand for and address the needed personal and structural changes that will transform the many problems that relate to peace into nonviolent, humane and ecological alternatives and solutions.” – Loreta Navarro-Castro and Jasmin Nario-Galace
I’ve worked in the field of youth peacebuilding since I got my Masters in Peace Education back in 2009. My involvement over the years in developing resources and in training youth peacebuilders I have often integrated what I learned from my background in Peace Education.
It is interesting for me to follow the developments in the field of Peace Education. I prepared a presentation on peace education approaches last year and since then have been more active in collecting peace education resources and updating my database of peace education reports and resources.
While the UN’s International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World (2001 – 2010) is now long past, there have been many great developments in the field of peace education (one of the pillars of the decade for a culture of peace). I enjoyed very much researching and mapping resources for this blog post. There is indeed a lot happening in the field of peace education in recent years, and resources provided in this blog post will get you up to date on current trends and developments in the field.
I’ve included earlier reports and resources as well, so within this blog post you can get a good background on the development of the field of peace education including all key resources past and present that map key rationale and approaches for peace education. May this help you in your peace education efforts, both to develop the rationale of your peace education activities and to find creative approaches. Also, for some of you, you may use this to advance the global movement for peace education and build the future of peace education.
Lessons learned about peace education rationale and approaches
I always share key lessons learned in my blog posts. While there would be many lessons to draw from a detailed review and analysis of all of these documents, I’ll provide my reflections just on the overview of collecting all of these documents for you.
My key lessons learned and reflections from researching and compiling these resources mapping rationale, approaches and the future of peace education:
- There are many great resources from the 1990s and early 2000s that map rationale and key approaches of peace education.
- The core rationale of peace education has not changed much since then, but some developments have been made which provide more detailed recommendations.
- There have been many peace education projects and initiatives since that time, and so resources in the past decade have a more comprehensive mapping of peace education approaches.
- There have been developments and activity packs and guidance materials developed since then in support of these.
- Earlier mapping of peace education rationale and approaches was more general. Since then, many reports and resources have been published that map rationale and approaches within specific contexts like formal education, conflict-affected contexts, early childhood education, and others.
- Highlighted by more recent reports included below, some great developments have been made in the last few years with specific recommendations on the future development and growth of peace education.
Resources Mapping Rational, Approaches and Future of Peace Education
Below, I have included a collection of resources mapping the rational, approaches and future of peace education. No resources explicitly map the ‘future of peace education’, but many include recommendations for future development of peace education.
I have organized these resources in four sections, listed below:
- Earlier peace education frameworks and rationale
- Peace education rationale, approaches and recommendations
- Peace education guidelines and frameworks
- Education and peacebuilding
All resources included below include a brief description and a direct download link. All are also freely available online from other websites. I have not included academic articles behind paywalls or books and other resources available only for purchase.
What is included are explicitly reports, guidebooks, toolkits and other resources on peace education. I have not included resources on themes associated with peace education like Human Rights Education (HRE), Global Citizenship Education (GCE), Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), or other related education themes. Each of these could be covered in a separate blog post that is equally as comprehensive as this.
There are hundreds, if not thousands of resources on peace education available freely for download on the internet. This blog post is not a comprehensive coverage of all resources on peace education. It is focused on key resources mapping rationale, approaches and the future of peace education.
Also not included in this blog post are:
- Toolkits, teacher guides, curriculum packs on peace education
- Guidebooks about mainstreaming peace education
- Collections of academic essays about peace education
- Resources on education in emergencies (EiE) or conflict sensitive education as these are not explicitly about ‘peace’
- Case studies or country-specific reports, unless they include a review of many case studies with analysis and concrete recommendations associated with the review
- Evaluations, reports or case studies on peace education in specific countries or contexts
- Resources on peacebuilding training as this is separate from peace education. It focuses on training peacebuilders (higher level training on how to build peace) and not peace education for the general public.
If you are looking for a blog post mapping peace education curriculum resources see my blog post with 100+ Free Peace Education Resources. More resources are available on the Global Campaign for Peace Education (GCPE) website.
Earlier peace education frameworks and rationale
The history of peace education is long and will not be covered here, though perhaps I might make a blog post about it at another date. This section includes some older peace education program documents and rationale, dating back to the 1990sand early 2000s. Peace education existed before this in various forms, but less documents about it are freely available online.
Various histories of peace education exist. One is included below in the resource by the Quaker Council for European Affairs (QCEA) which includes a brief historical overview of the development of peace education as well as a historical timeline. Key events in the history of peace education include the 1974 Recommendation concerning Education for International Understanding, Co-operation and Peace and Education relating to Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (generally referred to at the 1974 Recommendation, and the 1999 Hague Appeal for Peace from which the Global Campaign for Peace Education (GCPE) was created.
Documents included in this section provided important inputs in the formation of the rationale of peace education as well as a mapping of key approaches.
Declaration and Integrated Framework for Peace Education, Human Rights Education and Democracy (1995) | UNESCO
This is a short document that includes two parts: a declaration and an integrated framework. The declaration was adopted by ministers of education at the 44th session of the International Conference on Education in 1994. It encouraged Member States and UNESCO to develop an integrated framework for peace, human rights and democracy education in the perspective of sustainable development. The integrated framework part was prepared, presented and approved at the general conflerence of UNESCO in 1995. The framework includes 41 points covering key aims, strategies, content, teaching materials, teacher training, research, non-formal education, international cooperation and other points.
Peace Education In UNICEF (1999) | by Susan Fountain, UNICEF
This is a working from when UNICEF was involved in peace education activities. It was formative to in the development and growth of the field of peace education during the following decade. The paper offered an early working definition of peace education, mapped peace education aims and approaches, and identified opportunities for growth and development of peace education. It provided some early inputs for peace education rationale and guidance on how to plan and evaluate effective peace education initiatives.
Learning to Abolish War: Teaching Towards a Culture of Peace BOOK 1, BOOK 2, and BOOK 3 (2002) | by Betty A. Reardon and Alicia Cabezudo, Hague Appeal for Peace and Global Campaign for Peace Education
This is one of the early documents coming out of the Hague Appeal for Peace conference of May 1999. The resource was developed in collaboration with the newly established Global Campaign for Peace Education (GCPE), also a product of the Hague Appeal. This 3-book resource really mapped out key rationale and approaches of peace education as it was at the time, and it framed the global movement of peace education. BOOK 1 covers rationale and approaches to peace education, BOOK 2 includes sample learning units, and BOOK 3 includes both guidance for peace education teachers and facilitators as well as a compilation of available peace education resources at time of publishing.
Learning to Live Together: Building Skills, Values and Attitudes for the Twenty-First Century (2004) | by Margaret Sinclair, International Bureau of Education (IBE) and UNESCO
I used this one a lot in my early experiences supporting peace education initiatives. It is a collection of case studies that documented a bunch of different peace education approaches and learning frameworks available at the time. The paper also emphasized the importance of peace education teaching methods. It provided key lessons learned from successful programs and provided recommendations for action at both national and international levels.
Education and Conflict: The role of education in the creation, prevention and resolution of societal crises (2004) | by Dr. Klaus Seitz, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH
This report explores the complex relationship between education and conflict within the context of development cooperation, highlighting the ways in which violent conflicts undermine educational structures and hinder global education goals. It provides an overview of discussions, approaches, and strategies for conflict-sensitive education, emphasizing the need for systematic integration of crisis prevention in education assistance by development and humanitarian actors. The study concludes with recommendations for enhancing the resilience of educational systems and the application of peace education to prevent and manage conflicts. It is a great earlier example of reports analysing the relationship between education and peace.
Inter-Agency Peace Education Programme: Overview of the Programme (2005) | UNESCO, UNHCR, INEE
One of the early large-scale peace education initiatives was this inter-agency programme coordinated by UNESCO, UNHCR and the International Network of Education in Emergencies. There were many program guidance materials and activity packs included in this program. What I have included here is the manual with the overview of the program, designed for education managers and implementing agencies. It provides a comprehensive overview of the program’s materials and implementation structure. The program was used in various contexts across many countries. The program itself was a model for future programs, including some I was involved in during subsequent years.
Peace education rationale, approaches and recommendations
This section includes reports and documents from various sources that map peace education rationale and approaches. Often they give recommendations for development in the field of peace education. Most are based on research and/or mapping of peace education practice.
Education for conflict prevention and peacebuilding: Meeting the global challenges of the 21st century (2012) | by Phyllis Kotite, UNESCO Institute for Education Planning
This paper argues that education can play a crucial role in preventing conflict and supporting peacebuilding efforts in the face of global challenges like climate change and economic crises. It emphasizes the need for flexible and responsive educational planning that prioritizes sustainable development and conflict prevention skills. The paper also recommends capacity development for conflict prevention within the education sector and analyzing the root causes of conflict.
Peace Education and Conflict Transformation (2014) | by Uli Jäger, on Berghof Foundation
Berghof Foundation is a peacebuilding think tank based in Germany that always provides insightful analysis and recommendations on various approaches to peacebuilding, including peace education. In this report they offer a comprehensive examination of peace education’s evolving role in addressing global conflicts and promoting cultures of peace. It discusses the field’s growth as both an academic discipline and a global movement, highlighting the importance of integrating peace education into various programs and practices. It also explores practical approaches and theoretical foundations for peace education, emphasizing the need for collaboration between scholars and practitioners to enhance its effectiveness in crisis and conflict regions.
Peacebuilding, Education and Advocacy Programme Report (2016) | UNICEF
I was involved in some activities with UNICEF during the final years of their global Peacebuiding, Education and Advocacy (PBEA) Programme, which carried out innovative peace education initiatives in 14 conflict-affected countries around the world. Global funding also supported the development of research, reports and resource development which has proved useful contributions to the field of peace education. This is the final report at the close of the program provides key lessons learned and recommendations for peace education in conflict-affected contexts.
Peace Education: making the case (2019) | by Darijn ‘Dilia’ Zwart, Quaker Council for European Affairs (QCEA)
This report provides insight on Quaker contributions to the field of peace education, mapping its history and development and providing recommendations for the future development of the field of peace education. It advocates for a multi-layered approach to peace education, highlighting its role in peacebuilding and conflict prevention as outlined in Sustainable Development Goal 4.7. It reviews peace education’s definitions, history, and best practices, and examines how the European Union can integrate these strategies into its internal and external policies, concluding with recommendations for enhancing peace education through EU institutions, member states, and civil society organizations.
What can education concretely (and realistically) do to mitigate contemporary threats and foster lasting peace?: a white paper (2023) | by Tony Jenkins on the Global Campaign for Peace Education
This technical note was prepared by Tony Jenkins, director of the Global Campaign for Peace Education (GCPE) and key thought leader in the global movement for peace education. It maps essential components of peace education and reviews evidence on effective approaches. It underscores the importance of contextually relevant, holistic education to address interconnected global threats such as inequality, conflict, and climate change, and highlights the role of both formal and informal education in promoting social cohesion and transformation. The note emphasizes that transformative learning should be comprehensive, addressing cognitive, social, and emotional dimensions, and tailored to the specific needs and contexts of the communities involved. Recommendations are poignant and the report includes a comprehensive mapping of learning objectives, approaches and practices across six dimensions of peace education.
Peace education in the 21st century: An essential strategy for building lasting peace (2024) | UNESCO
This report explores the critical role of peace education in achieving lasting global peace, emphasizing both its challenges and opportunities. It reviews key research and builds on discussions from the revision of the 1974 Recommendation on Education for Peace, Human Rights and Sustainable Development, drawing insights from UNESCO’s 2022 notes on current threats to peace, education’s contributions, and the role of non-state actors. It has integrated and advanced some key recommendations and frameworks from the previous report by GCPE.
Peace education guidelines and frameworks
While there are many activity packs and training resources for peace education, there are fewer toolkits, manuals and guidebooks that provide a comprehensive overview of peace education with guidance on how to systematically plan peace education initiatives. Many activity packs and training resources include some specific guidance in the introduction section, but it is usually to carry out some specific type of peace education program or implement the subsequent curriculum and activities. This is also different from the previous section which is more theoretical frameworks and recommendations for peace education. Resources in this section focus on practical guidance.
Learning to live together: Design, monitoring and evaluation of education for life skills, citizenship, peace and human rights (2008) | by Margaret Sinclair in collaboration with Lynn Davies, Anna Obura and Felisa Tibbitts, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH in collaboration with International Bureau of Education (IBE) and UNESCO
This is a comprehensive guide for planning and implementing peace education, citizenship education, life skills and human rights education. It offers a huge array of tools, frameworks and tips for integrating these approaches into education systems, textbooks and programming more broadly. I’ve used it countless times since it was published.
Designing Learning for Peace: Peace Education Competence Framework and Educational Guidelines (2016) | by Inga Belousa, Max Fras, Adrian Locher, Israel Peralta, Sebastian Schweitzer, Imre Veeneman, and Edin Zaim, Mainstreaming Peace Education Series, Erasmus+
This publication introduces a comprehensive Peace Education Competency Framework, designed to enhance the professionalism of peace education in both formal and non-formal settings. Their framework maps learning outcomes across key themes of participation, interdependence, diversity, living peace and building peace. I appreciate how it is broken down. This resource has contributed by my development of frameworks to develop action-oriented training for peacebuilders, differentiating it from peace education for the general public. It offers a structured approach for planning, monitoring, and assessing peace education activities, providing guidance on conceptualizing peace, defining competences, and developing learning pathways.
Peace Education: A Pathway to a Culture of Peace – Third Edition (2019) | by Loreta Navarro-Castro and Jasmin Nario-Galace, the Center for Peace Education, Miriam College
This is the third edition of a core resource that has been influential in the global field of peace education for many years. It is designed to equip educators with the essential knowledge, skills, and values necessary for promoting a culture of peace through both formal and nonformal education. It serves as a guide for teachers, as well as anyone interested in understanding peace issues and contributing to a more peaceful society. Organized into three sections, the book covers the fundamentals of peace education, key thematic concepts, and strategies for creating a peaceable learning environment.
Education and peacebuilding
Resources in this section focus on peace education in conflict affected contexts. Some are framed as on education for peacebuilding. Not included here are resources for education in emergency (EiE) or conflict-sensitive education as this is a huge area with tons of resources and it is not focused on peace education or peacebuilding through education.
Research Consortium on Education and Peacebuilding: A Review of the Literature (2015) | by Alan Smith and Christine Ellison, UNICEF
This is a great report produced with support of UNICEF’s Peacebuilding, Education and Advocacy (PBEA) programme, mentioned above. It provides a great review of literature available at date of publication mapping the linkages between education, conflict and peacebuilding. The Literaturre Review highlights the significant role that education plays in peacebuilding, particularly in fragile and conflict-affected states. It synthesizes findings from a review of 171 documents, emphasizing education’s potential to both positively and negatively impact peace. The review provides key insights for policymakers on integrating education with peacebuilding efforts, stressing the importance of equitable service delivery and the careful implementation of education reforms.
A Systematic Policy Review of Early Childhood Development and Peacebuilding in fourteen Conflict-affected and Post-conflict countries (2015) | by Dr. Lynn Ang, University College London Institute of Education and UNICEF
This resource provides a systematic review of early childhood development (ECD) and peacebuilding policies across fourteen conflict-affected and post-conflict countries. It highlights how national policies position children and explores the potential of ECD to contribute to peacebuilding, emphasizing the need for more integrated policy approaches. Despite encouraging policy rhetoric, the review reveals significant gaps in the actual implementation and monitoring of these policies, calling for stronger efforts to link ECD with broader peacebuilding and social cohesion goals.
Youth, Peacebuilding, and the Role of Education (2017) | by Mieke T. A. Lopes Cardozo and Giovanni Scotto, The Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE)
This resource highlights the growing recognition of young people’s role in peacebuilding, particularly following the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2250. It discusses the increasing importance of education in conflict zones, emphasizing the need to view education as a transformative tool for peacebuilding while addressing its potential to perpetuate inequalities. The text critiques the narrow focus on economic empowerment and political participation in education, advocating for greater attention to the sociocultural aspects of youth identity and reconciliation in peacebuilding efforts.
New Understandings of Education’s Contributions to Peace: Technical note (2022) | by UNESCO
This document is one of three Technical Notes by UNESCO’s Section on Global Citizenship and Peace Education, designed to guide the International Expert Group in revising the 1974 Recommendation on Education for Peace, Human Rights and Sustainable Development. It aims to summarize current knowledge on the role of education in addressing contemporary threats and promoting lasting peace.
Build your rational and find creative approaches for your peace education efforts
I hope that the resources I have provided in this blog post help you develop a solid rationale for your peace education activities and also support you to discover and use creative approaches. I encourage you to find some useful frameworks and approaches in these resources and use them in your peace education efforts.
And for some, get involved with the global movement. Share about your peace education initiative to inspire others to learn from your experiences and use creative approaches. Be a part of building the future of peace education.
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